It's All About Punk AttitudeWith Don Letts

Wed 31st Aug, 2005 in Features

“Punk rock to me means, ‘A good idea attempted is better than a bad idea perfected’. It means, making what would be, a problem your asset. It’s about new values, it’s about empowerment, and it’s about individuality. These people that you’re so eager to put on pedestals, well you can be up there too, instead of just sitting on the fucking sofa.” says Don Letts talking about the theme of his latest documentary opus, Punk: Attitude.

Made by a notable player from the formation of the original UK punk movement, this film is much more than a retrospective of punk history from the 1970s to present -it is a call to arms. The title of this film should really be Punk = Attitude.

“The current cultural climate is almost like punk never happened. And that’s another reason why I’ve made this film, to remind people that there is another way. We’ve gotten back to this mentality where, people are happy just to be fans, and put their heroes up on pedestals. I remember going to see gigs when I was like, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and I’m like, okay you’re on stage doing your thing, but what about me? Is my place on this planet to make you feel better? And I thought, well, I could do something too. And it was through the inspiration of punk rock that I got off my ass and had a go, and it worked… I think. I hope so, but I’m still trying. I mean, punk rock for me has never stopped. It’s something that I use on a day-to-day basis.”

As well as being responsible for breaking the musical-cultural divide after introducing reggae to the British punk scene in the 1970s as a DJ at The Roxy club, Don Letts’ punk rock resume also includes running punk boutiques Acme Attractions and Boy, managing The Slits, member of Big Audio Dynamite, and directing numerous video clips for Public Image, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Cliff, The Pretenders and most famously, for all of The Clash’s videos. With such a diverse range of expertise in this genre, Letts’ main motivation for making this film is to impart his wealth of knowledge to the kids of this generation.

“I’m always trying to find subjects or people to work with who try to push things forward -to make the world a slightly better place. And I know that might sound a little naïve but it works for me… I mean, music made my world a better place. It brought people together in the UK; bonds have been formed between different factions and races. And that wasn’t done by school, it wasn’t done by politics, it wasn’t done by religion… it was done through music.”

In Punk: Attitude, Letts explores the “punk rock cultural revolution” in the UK and US, citing bands like The Clash, MC5, The Stooges, New York Dolls, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag as some of the key players responsible for developing the punk rock attitude that we know today. But the punk rock attitude that Don Letts portrays in this film spans beyond the realm of a Sex Pistols song, safety pins, and the idea of complete rebellion against the establishment.

“The thing about it is, we don’t really need more make-up and spiky hair. People think that punk rock is about this ‘fuck you attitude’ but the thing is, ‘fuck you’ isn’t enough. You’ve got to offer an alternative. You’ve got to come up with something. Any idiot can say, ‘fuck you’. It’s become too easy. And it’s kind of become the new uniform, really.”

“We don’t need to be selling any more make-up. We don’t need to be selling any more egos. We’re living in a world now where, Andy Warhol’s fifteen minutes of fame has become a fucking curse! You know, I actually believe that there’s very few people out there who can justify three minutes let alone fifteen.”

Although Don Letts is passionate about not following trends, he is adamant about not being pretentious and judgemental of other genres of music.

“Don’t get me wrong I like pop songs. But it’s like; you’ve got to have a balanced meal. We all can’t be just living in fucking happy-land. And I don’t just spend all my time on the soapbox. I can chill. I don’t mind watching Gwen Stefani occasionally… but it can’t just be all that. MTV would like it to be all that – and there’s room for it all. We can’t get snobbish about it, if somebody wants Britney, well good luck to them. As long as they don’t stop you from doing your thing. That’s when it gets funny. It’s when they start to exclude everything else that it becomes problematic.”

Don Letts is a man who practices what he preaches. With Punk: Attitude, and throughout his expansive career, he has proven that he is a person who lives and breaths this ideology. Which explains why the film is not only poignant but honest. If Letts’ main motivation for making this film is to motivate the kids of this generation, it’s very likely he’ll meet his goal.

“If two people walk out of the film and think well, ‘hey I can do that’ – that’s a good start for me, because that’s what happened when I saw the ‘77 Punk Explosion. The energy was so strong that you wanted to get involved – it was all-inclusive, it wasn’t a spectator sport. And here I am today, a product of punk rock. Trust me, it works. But like I said, I am optimistic about it, it’s the birthright of the young. It’s like the force in Star Wars – it’s out there somewhere.”

Punk: Attitude will be released on DVD on September 19th and available from your favourite record or DVD shop.